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Experts and policymakers will discuss the public health response to Ebola virus disease in the U.S.

THURSDAY, Oct. 16, 2014 (HealthDay News) -- At the request of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council will host a workshop to discuss research needed to prepare for handling the occurrence of Ebola virus disease in the United States, according to a press release from the National Academies.

Health care experts and policymakers will convene at a one-day workshop, to be held on Nov. 3, 2014, at the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C., to discuss basic science research and public health concerns regarding the response to Ebola. Advance registration is required to attend in person; plenary sessions and discussions will be available via live video webcast.

The researchers will discuss various topics on Ebola, including routes of viral transmission; persistence of the virus on surface areas and transfer of the virus; methods for viral inactivation and disinfection; and protective strategies for at-risk responders, providers, and the general public, including the use of personal protective equipment. Experts and policymakers will identify key areas of biomedical and public health research that should be conducted to protect the public and prevent the spread of Ebola.

"Our goal for this workshop is to provide a forum for key experts and decision makers to discuss what research is needed and can be performed now to assist the public health response to the occurrence of Ebola in the United States," Victor J. Dzau, M.D., the president of the Institute of Medicine, said in a statement.